


The pact to forget

by asraidevin



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Drinking to Cope, Fluff and Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-26
Updated: 2015-08-26
Packaged: 2018-04-17 08:15:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4659282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asraidevin/pseuds/asraidevin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Siding with the mages, Dorian and Ara Adaar make a pact for drink until they forget what they saw in the future. Dorian ends up embarrassing Ara in front of Iron Bull. Ara is a shy girl, who doesn't have a lot of social confidence.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The pact to forget

Three weeks later, Ara was three mugs deep into the ale at the Tavern. Dorian sat beside her as they tried to forget the horrors of time travel.

Bull threw his leg over the bench and his fist on the table made her jump. "You gonna wait until the rest of us can catch up?" he asked. his fingers on her mug.

"No," she said, yanking her mug out of his grasp. "You didn't see what we saw. You had red lyrium growing out of you. I saw Leliana sacrifice herself for us."

"So you could get to a place where you could prevent that from happening." His hand rested on her shoulder. "You saved us from that future. Just as you'll save us from the Breach. You're doing a fine job."

She let her shoulders droop but straightened her back. "Thank you."

"I'll get you and the Vint another mug."

She smiled gratefully.

"Does it bother you when he calls 'The Vint'?"

He looked after Bull. "From the one, I think it's a term of endearment. At least that's how I think of it. What do you think he's into?"

"Redheads. Also the serving staff. If you believe the rumors." He didn't seem to mix business with pleasure. Much to her disappointment. No, that was a good plan. No personal involvement.

"I stopped knowing what to believe in since meeting you," Dorian said.

Varric appeared on the other side of the table. "I heard you returned," he said.

"I'm not allowed to die before I close the Breach," she said. At least that's what she meant to say. It didn't come out that clear.

"I'm afraid of Cassandra as well. What did you see in Redcliffe? It's a little early for you to be slurring words."

"It was bad, Varric. Just trust me on that. I'd rather forget about it."

"What about you Sparkler? You want to give us a hint?"

Dorian shook his head. "I made a pact with Ara to drink until we forget. We'll have to report everything tomorrow. Or the next day, probably, right now. We will have to tell the whole horrific story to the three in the war room."

"Let's just say there was a lot of red lyrium and a demon army."

Varric grabbed his mug. "Alright, that's all I need to hear. I had enough demons in Kirkwall." He told Ara one night, not long after she agreed to close the Breach, he felt obligated to help here. But he never went into details.

Iron Bull set another mug in front of her. She took a drink and sat up. Dorian motioned to her. "You look like me, Herald."

"What?"

"Foam mustache," Iron Bull said.

She wiped around her face. "Thank you, Bull. I app-prer-cia-tate a man who brings me drinks."

"Don't get used to it. You're the boss, not the one I'm rewarding." He nudged her, but overestimated her stability and she nearly fell off the bench.

He grabbed her and set her up straight. She thought about taking the chance to throw herself against him. But it seemed too desperate. Besides she wasn't mixing business and pleasure.

"Sorry, Boss."

"Next round is on you," she said, looking to her other side where Dorian sat. "I can still see the experiments. You?"

"Yes, I can. But someone across the room is making eyes at me and Redcliffe castle seems far away."

"I make eyes at you all the time and you never get excited." Sometime on the way back from Redcliffe, she got a burst of courage and a desire to avoid talking about what they had seen. She  straight-out mentioned that, despite his flirting with her, he seemed less than interested in women.

_'I love women,' he said. ' I've become especially fond of you and Josephine. I'm just not interested in sex with any of them.'_

She promptly fell in love with him. And it became easier to talk to him. She added him to the list of people who saw her as a person and not just the Herald.

She glanced at Bull out of the corner of her eye. He might be added to the list. She wasn't sure. At least, he didn't think of her as the Herald, just 'The Boss.' She wasn't sure he was entirely thrilled to be 'working for' a Vashoth. Even if he admitted not everyone would fair well under the strict Quanari code, the Qun.

He seemed perpetually amused by her role as Herald, and the annoyance it brought the Chantry.

Dorian and Bull stared at her and she realized she had taken a mental wander. "Sorry, my mind drifted off."

"You need to drink more," Dorian said, nudged her mug closer.

Ara emptied the mug. "Yes! I'll get the next round." She stood up, but the floor seemed to be tilted, so she couldn't figure out how to walk on it. It went one way and then the other.

She sat down and fell back into Bulls's chest. He caught her easily. Good reflexes. Usually she had good refluxes too, but all the drinks made her dizzy. She giggled and looked up at him. She clapped a hand over her mouth, which made her giggle even more.

He looked down at her, his dark eyes glittering. He looked amused. Maybe? Perhaps he was frowning. He was upside down. She frowned back. "What?"

"What what?" he asked.

"You were frowning. Maybe? I forgot."

"I think I should take you to your bed."

Dorian nudged him. "She's been hoping you'd say that for weeks."

"Dorian," she gasped, sitting up.

"I meant to sleep," Bull said.

Ara felt her body flush hot then cold. She grabbed her mug and downed the rest. She gripped the table as she pulled herself to standing. Once she was standing, she pushed away hands that reached to steady her.

She lifted her head and walked to the door.  When she opened the door, she gasped when the cold air hit her. Dorian called her name, but she stumbled into the snow. She let the door swing shut behind her and made her way slowly, but thankfully, peacefully, until she was assured she was alone.

She sat on an empty bench. All she wanted one night to forget who she was. To just be a person. To pretend that the mark, the breach, or her attempts to close it wouldn't likely kill her. She had asked Solas about it, but he said he couldn't say for sure.

She was tired. And in a few days, they'd close the breach and she'd know for sure. But if she died, at least she would have saved almost everyone else. Except the people who died to save her, because of the stupid big of magic trapped in her hand.

She looked at the sky. No use worrying about it. She thought she'd die in battle, like a lot of other mercenaries did. A few got out of that type of work, get a respectable job and get married. Farmers, ranchers, butcher was really popular among those who wielded a sword.  It was hard to be a Qunari in a human world. At least elves looked normal, Qunari were different in every way. And never mind trying to explain to a non-Quanari about Vashoth versus a follower of the Qun.

She heard voices and thought about hiding. Probably just some soldiers or townsfolk. Most people tended to nodded and say "hello" but in an aloof manner.

She regretted staying when the giant Quanari body came around the corner. Only one person that could be. He had a girl on each arm. He stopped when he saw her. He murmured something to the girls and they left, glaring at Ara.

She stood up. "Her-" he coughed, "Ara, wait."

She crossed her arms over her chest. That made her feel dizzy, so she sat back down.

He down next to her, which didn't help the dizzy feeling. "I've been focused on what needs to be done for my part here. I thought this was a quick in and out job. But ..."

"But what?"

"It's been three months since you showed up on the beach on the Storm Coast and you trusted me."

"Sort of." She kept her eyes on her feet, digging one toe against the snow.

"I've watched you shoulder this incredible role you never asked for. You hide it from most people, but I can tell how much you hate leadership."

"You can?" Ara glanced at him. He was looking down on her. She could never read his expression. She supposed that was his spy training.

His voice got closer. And lower. "Ara, you do a good job, no matter how much you second guess yourself. I've been trying to keep my distance from you. Mixing business and personal relationships doesn't always go well."

She nodded and turned. His face was there, inches from hers now. She licked her lips. "I-I understand."

He grabbed her chin and tilted her head back.  "You don't." His mouth covered hers.

She didn't but she grabbed his shoulders and pulled herself closer. His tongue slipped inside her mouth, spiraling until it trapped her tongue. It made her more dizzy and she gripped him harder.

He pulled away and his eye searched her face. "Never doubt you're attractiveness. After we close the breach, we can talk. Okay?"

Ara swallowed hard. "Right."

He kissed her forehead. "I'll walk you to your cabin."

She let him help her to her feet. She leaned against him, feeling unsteady, more for the kissing then the alcohol now.

He opened her door, but didn't let her go. She held on as well, feeling dizzy as she looked up at him. He kissed her lips again softly. Then her cheek, eyes, forehead. Then he just held her for a bit, her head against his bare chest. She let her fingers travel over her abdomen and chest. "Will you come in?" she asked.

He tipped her head back. "Not tonight, Ara. You had a lot of drink. When you're sober. When this shit with the breach is over."

She nodded. She tried to pull away. He held her. "I'm not going to them."

"I'm not"

"I can see it in your eyes, Ara."

"Tomorrow then."

"Sweet dreams, Ara."

He kissed her one last time. And then he left, closing the door behind him. But she swore he looked regretful. Or perhaps she was projecting.

She fell on her bed fully clothed and passed out within seconds.


End file.
